Garment-hanger.



Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

l/VI/ENTOR W. F. FREEMAN.

GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION men MAR. 15. 1913.

WITNESSES:

Mod A TTOH/VEV n as are.

WILLIAM F. FREEMAN, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS SHOW CASE COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

GARMENT-HANGER.

Application filed March 15, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. FREE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State'of Michigan, have invented a certain new and Improved Garment-Hanger, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

The garment hanger most extensively used to carry coats, cloaks and like garments consists in two arms meeting and joined together at the central portion of the hanger, the arms extending downwardly and forwardly from the meeting point in either direction therefrom, these arms being smoothed and shaped to conform to the collar and shoulders of a coat or cloak as near as may be to the natural shape thereof, that is with the ends of the arms projecting the Outer portions of the shoulders of the garment forward and with the collar fitting closely against a collar forming portion made near the center of the hanger. A suspension means is added to the hanger at the meeting point of the arms and is used to suspend the hanger and garment carried thereby on any convenient hook or rod or other support. In the manufacture of such hangers, it is practically necessary to form the arms from separate pieces of material and to join them together by some form of joint such as to leave the surface of the arms on the rear side smooth to afford a proper surface for the garment to engage against. The suspension hook is attached to the hanger at this joint and is usually inserted through a hole drilled in the hanger at the meeting point of the two arms. The result of such structure is to make the garment hanger weak at the center and liable to break either from the weight of the garment on the hanger, or from rough usage in placing the loaded hangers on a support, or on dropping a hanger and having it strike on the outer end of an arm, and in other ways.

My invention has for its primary object the strengthening of the hanger at this weak portion and reinforcing of it in all directions in which strain is liable to occur, the means used to reinforce it also serving as a means to secure the suspension hook to the hanger and permitting the elimination of the drilling of the hole in the hanger, thus doing away with this source of Weakness.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 754,483.

Furthermore the reinforcing means may be shaped to allow the hook used to suspend the hanger to. open to either side of the hanger, some buyers of the hangers preferring hooks with their open sides toward the left side and others toward the right side of the hanger. Various other objects and purposes will appear as the description of the embodiments shown in the drawing progresses.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front ele vation of a hanger embodying my invention. 'F1g. 2 is a similar view of a modification, a portion only of the hanger being shown. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the hanger looking from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken centrally of the hanger shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial rear elevation.

In constructing the hanger, there is provided two arms 6 which have abutting ends 7 meeting and which when secured together form the hanger bow for insertion within a coat or cloak. Each arm 6 at its inner end is formed with a curved outer surface 8 against which the collar of the coat engages, and is cut away at 9 forming a depression to better receive and shape the collar, the arms then extending forward and downwardly as shown to their outer end which are rounded off at 10. A coat placed'on the bow formed by the arms joined together will adjust itself to the form by gravity, the outer ends of the arms throwing the shoulders forward and carrying the coat on the form practically the same as it is naturally carried when worn, except as to the front or open portion of the coat which hangs free. The weight of the garment is borne by the arms of the hanger, and by reason of the shape of the bow formed by the forwardly and downwardly extending arms, there is a tendency of the arms to part at their meeting point which must be resisted by the joint there formed. Also when the weighted hanger is placed on its support more or less carelessly, an added strain is given to the joint which is liable to rupture. In the same way, dropping of the hanger on one of its outer ends will serve in many instances to break it. The means used to strengthen the hanger at this joint consists of a plate 11 attached to the front side of the hanger by means of screws 12, the plate extending over a portion of both hanger arms, and having an integral flange 13 extending beneath a portion of both arms and against which said arms bear.

In this manner the tendency of the arms to construction a hanger is provided as strong as thoughmade of one pieceand capable of standing any usage to which it may be sub.- jected.

The suspension hook it is centrally attached to the hanger and at the meeting point of the two arms. In the {hanger shown it is secured to the hanger by .means of the strengthening platell, an embossed portion 15 being formed at the central portion of the plate and extending downward for a portion of its height, the lower portion of the hook lying within the groove formed by such embossed portion and between the plate and the hanger. In Fig. 1, a hole is formed at the lower portion of the embossing and the end of the wire from which the hook is formed is bent and passed through said hole in this manner securing the hook from upward displacement. Other means of securingthe hook may he used if desired, in Fig. 2 there being shown two embossed extensions 16 to the embossed portion'15, extending at different angles and practically in line with the hanger arms 6,

-. thelower end of the hook being bent to, lie

ineither groove formed by such extensions and being retained thereby so as to prevent upward movement of the hook. By placing the lower end of the hook in one extension 16 ofthe embossing, the opening of the hook faces one end of the hanger while if placed in the other extension, it will face the other way. v

It will be clear from this description that I have provided a garment hanger with forwardly and downwardly extending arms which is strong and durable and will stand as hard usage as though formed of a single piece of material, and one in which the suspension meanstherefor is firmly and securely attached without in any manner cutting or drilling the hanger portion itself.

And this structure is of few parts all easily and cheaply made so that the cost of manufacture is. small.

Various changes in detail may be made without departing from the invention. The disclosure made, accordingly, is to be taken as illustrative and diagrammatic of the invention merely, and not in any sense as limiting the invention to any specific struc ture.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. A garment hangercomprising opposed arms proj ecting forwardly and downwardly from a central point of suspension thereof, said arms being formed of separate pieces and having ends in engagement atsuch central point, and a plate fixedly attached to the adjoining ends of the arms on the front face thereof said plate also having an integral angular section extending under the arms, and against which the inner ends of the arms bear on the under side thereof;

2. A garment hanger comprising a coat carrying bow, said bow having downwardly and forwardly projecting arms meeting at a central point of the bow, a plate secured substantially at the center of the bow, said plate having embossed portions lying. at angles to each other thereby forming grooves between the plate and hanger, and a suspension hook having an angular lower extension adapted to be seated in different grooves to thereby position the hook in clifferent relation to the bow of the hanger- 3. A garment hanger comprising a coat carrying bow, a platesecured substantially at the center of the bow, embossed portions formed in the plate and lying at angles to each other thereby forming grooves between the plate and hanger bow, and asuspension hook having an extension adapted to be seated in difierent grooves to thereby secure the hook in different fixed relations to the hanger.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

I lVitnesses'i FRANK E. LIvEnANon, Jr., L. E. CARiiOLL, v

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

WILLIAMF. FREEMAN. 

